Tag Archives: Fulmarus glacialis

Endangered Fulmar

Fýll - Fulmar -
Fýll – Northern Fulmar -Fulmarus glacialis
The Northern Fulmar is on the list of threatened species. It is listed endangered (EN) within Europe and  vulnerable (VU) in countries in the European Union. Here in Iceland the decline in the stock has been 30% in the last 25 years.
The European Commission issues the European Red List of Birds 2015, compiled by BirdLife International.

Inland Seabird

The Northern Fulmar’s first known breeding in Icelandic territory was in Grimsey, an island north of Iceland, in the beginning of the 19th century. Since then they have spread over the whole country, first in ocean cliffs and now they have started breeding in mountains and cliffs, even 70 km inland.  Despite this they get all their food in the ocean.

fyll
Fýll – Northern Fulmar – Fulmarus glacialis

They look for breeding places as early as February and start laying eggs in March. To protect their eggs and chicks they throw up foul smelling bile.

This photo is taken in Látrabjarg, Westfjords, Iceland, 2011.